LDV brand lives on as vans go on sale across the world

Chinese-made Maxus vans to be sold in Australia, South Africa, Chile and South East Asia

Vans designed and formerly made in Birmingham are being exported all over the world after being made at their new China factory.

The LDV name now lives on elsewhere in the world after Chinese automotive giant SAIC launched an export drive to a range of markets, including Australia, Chile, South Africa and South-East Asia.

The assets of LDV were bought by Chinese businesswoman Qu Li in October 2009
although original plans to relaunch the firm at a site in Birmingham making eco vans have failed to progress.

But
the LDV Maxus-style van has since been revived by Chinese giant SAIC, who also own MG UK at Longbridge. The SAIC Maxus V80 is now available in
Australia, with an order for 210 LDV V80 vans shipped down under in October.

The V80 series had been launched at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and went on sale in September of that year. The Chinese firm has clocked up several thousand
sales of the model, with Australia the latest export market.

The
news emerged as plans to give the former LDV factory site in Birmingham
a new lease of life four years after the last van was rolled out from the assembly lines took a major step forward.

A
two-year programme of demolition and remediation work will finally end in March – bringing a new dawn to one of Birmingham’s most historic factory sites.

The sprawling 45-acre site is being marketed for industrial use, with hopes of generating new jobs through manufacturing or a distribution operation.

The demolition and remediation followed the end of van-making in 2009, when LDV finally
collapsed after racking up debts of £75 million.

The
demise of the van maker cost 800 jobs at the factory and several thousands more in the supply chain when LDV collapsed into administration in June 2009.

Stephen
Morgan of Birmingham-based agents Savills – project manager for the demolition and remediation work – said: “We have recovered thousands of tons of concrete from below the site and we are onto the final bits and pieces of remediation work.”

The
Drews Lane complex boasts a proud industrial heritage pre-dating the LDV era and was home of the luxury Wolseley car company from the 1920s.

Wolseley was later swallowed up by the former British Leyland group which in turn became Austin Rover.